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Chief constable laces up for charity
17 July 2009
This week, Chief Constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary, Dr Timothy Brain OBE, officially launched the Meningitis Trust’s annual Five Valley’s Walk; and started the fundraising with a donation of £1500 he received after winning the Communicator of the Year Award 2008, from GSL/APPRO for his efforts during the Water Emergency of 2007.
Dr Brain has been a Patron of the Trust since August 2008 and has worked to raise the Trust’s profile. As a charity proud of its Gloucestershire roots, Dr Brain’s involvement in its work creates a strong connection to the people of Gloucestershire.
The walk was officially launched on Thursday July 16, by Dr Brain who was joined by local businesses who have supported the walk for several years, Operations Director of Stagecoach, Sholto Thomas, Managing Director of Connexious, Gulam Patel and Sales Director of Wheatley Printers, Jamie Underwood.
Alongside pupils from North Nibley Primary School, were two local families who have been affected by meningitis, the Townsend’s from Shurdington and Alison and David Walker from Cheltenham.
Dr Brain says: “The Meningitis Trust Five Valley’s Walk is a Gloucestershire tradition, which I am pleased to support and be part of. Meningitis brings devastation to the lives of thousands of individuals, and their friends and families, in the UK each year. These people need our help and support, so the work the Trust carries out on their behalf is absolutely vital.”
The Meningitis Trust - the UK’s longest established meningitis charity - is now calling for people from Gloucestershire to take part in the flagship event on September 27, in each of Stroud’s Five Valleys – Golden, Toadsmoor, Painswick, Slad and Nailsworth Why not make it a day out for the whole family? The walk is suitable for adults, children and dogs, with some parts being pushchair-friendly.
Registration for the event is open now, so don’t delay. It costs £7 for adults reserving their place in advance (£10 on the day) and £5 for under 16s in advance (£8 on the day). There is also a family ticket, £20 before or £25 on the day.
It’s the largest walking event in the area, attracting thousands of participants from all over the country every year. This year the Trust is keen to beat the £61,000 that the walk raised last year, and hopes that people from across Gloucestershire will come together to make it one for the record books!
The route is 21-miles long, with 10 checkpoints dividing it into shorter sections. People can choose to challenge themselves and walk the whole route, or pick a distance to suit them and use the free bus service to travel back to their starting point. Distances participants can walk ranges from 1 mile through to 21 miles.
Julie Maden, Event Organiser at the Meningitis Trust says, “We would love for this Five Valleys Walk to be our biggest ever. We are asking people to encourage their colleagues, friends and families to walk together, for what is a fantastic opportunity to discover the gorgeous Gloucestershire countryside. And the varying routes are designed so that everyone can take part, regardless of age, shape or stamina.”
The Meningitis Trust is dedicated to providing practical and emotional support to anyone affected by the disease. Every year it helps around 20,000 people through its range of professional support services; including counselling, 24-hour freephone helpline, one-to-one contacts, art therapy, financial support grants and home visits. It is also committed to raising awareness of meningitis and its signs and symptoms by producing and distributing millions of pieces of information material for free.
If you would like to register for the event, or find out more, call 0845 120 4530 or email fvw@meningitis-trust.org or visit the website
www.meningitis-trust.org/fivevalleyswalk.
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